Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 798,275. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905. A. FORNANDER.

AOBTYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO.9, 1899- ANDREW. a. GRINAM ca. 'Nn'ro-umnfimminawnsnmmon. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED FORNANDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS,TO J. B. COLT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AGETYLl ENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed December 9, 1899. Serial No. 739,352-

To (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED FORNANDER, a subject of the King of Swedenand Norway, and a resident of New York city, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generators, of whichthe following is a description, referring to the accompanying drawings.

The invention is particularly adapted to acetylene-lamps in which thegas is generated within the apparatus of the lamp, though of course theinvention is not limited to these conditions.

It is also particularly adapted to portable apparatus of the type inwhich pulverized carbid is fed little by little, as required, to thewater.

In such lamps and in such apparatus the chief difficulty has been tocombine simplicity of construction and operation with certainty andconstancy of operation.

The object of this invention is to overcome these difficulties and alsoto improve and perfeet the construction and operation of thegasgenerating apparatus.

A few preferable forms of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, where- Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a lamp,omitting only features that are immaterial to the present invention.Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of parts of the same. Fig. 3shows a modification adapted for use either with or separate from theburner or lamp proper.

Under this invention the carbid, preferably in the form of fine powder,is held in a chamber above the water-space. An opening or passage-waypermits the carbid to fall into the water. A stop or valve controls therate of feed of the carbid and may also serve to prevent the water-vaporfrom reaching the carbid when no gas is being drawn off. An expansiblegas holder actuated by springpressure or the equivalent regulates thegaspressure for which the device is set. When the gas is drawn off, theclosing of the gasholder beyond the predetermined limit opens thecarbid-valve and admits more or less carbid to the water. The carbid iskept from interfering with the valve by a support or shield above thevalve which permits only a certain small amount or layer of carbid tofall down upon or around the valve. The valve is preferably of yieldingmaterial, such as rubber, so as to close securely even if some particlesof the carbid lie under the edge of the valve. A spring may be added tothe weight of the valve and its moving parts to assist its closing, ifdesirable.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the carbid-chamberis marked 0, the water-chamber w, and the gas holder or bellows g. Thecarbid-chamber is of a graceful form converging downward and may be provided with a filling-opening and cap f. Above it is mounted the tipholder and burner Z2, and within it is the valve or stop 0;, movingloosely on the vertical guide and preferably provided withadownwardly-pressing spring, as shown. Surrounding the spring andextending in the vicinity of the valve is a protecting-tube orcarbid-support s, which screens these movable .parts from the weight andfriction of the carbid and allows only a thin layer of carbid to slipdown to the Valve and the opening or passage-way beneath it. Thus thevalve acts at all times with equal freedom regardless of the amount ofcarbid in the chamber. The valve-operating rod r extends downward in twopieces through the rod-tube rt. The lower piece or section pivotallycarries the small lever Z, one end of which is slightly movable in therecess in the expansible holder or bellows g, while the other end restsagainst the movable diaphragm m of the bellows. The diaphragm or movablepart of the bellows consists of a rubber or other annular sheet ofmaterial stretched about a rigid central disk, preferably of metal, andsecured to the sides of the holder. An upwardly-pressing lever u,pivoted at the side of the apparatus and actuated by pressure-spring p,presses centrally upon the diaphragm m and determines the pressure ofthe gas in the lamp. The tension-screw z, and nut secured to spring prender the tension of spring adjustable at will. This arrangement ofspring and lever permits a considerable movement of the diaphragmwithout appreciable variation in gas-pressure, a result of greatimportance.

In the figures it will'be seen that the spring 12 is attached to theshort arm of the lever u, so that said spring is but slightly extendedor contracted by the operation of the apparatus, although the end of thelong arm of the lever a has a multiplied or extended range of movement.Diaphragm m may thus have an extended movement without materiallyvarying the tension of the springp, thus maintaining a sub- 5 stantiallyconstant gas-pressure unaffected by large variations in spring tension.

One or more pipes 70 conduct the gas from above the water to the holder9, and discharge pipe (Z carries the gas from the holder to the burner.The carbid-chamber and all the upper parts are entirely detachable fromthe water-chamber and lower parts of the lamp to afford ready access forcleaning out and refilling. For this purpose the carbid-cham- S ber isprovided with a strong base where it rests upon a similarly-reinforcedsection or ring on the water-chamber, as seen in Fig. 2. A rubber washeror packing-ring y is interposed, and a screw-ring as draws the partstogether upon the packing. Rod-tube rt terminates at or just above therubber washer. The lower section of the valve-rod 9' preferablyterminates at about the same point. The upper section of the rod runsdown through 5 and is guided by the reinforced section of thecarbid-chamber wall and rests on the end of its lower section, so as tobe actuated upward by it. The discharge-tube (Z is also divided in thevicinity of the washer 1 as shown,

3 so that the carbid-chamber may be completely detached from thewater-chamber and lower parts of the lamp.

The operation is as follows: The parts being in operative position, asshown, and gas being drawn ofi through pipe (Z, the lever 10 pressesdiaphragm m upward, and consequently by lever land rod 0" raises valveQ), allowing a little carbid to fall into the water. Thereupon the gasgenerated again expands 4 the holder g, reversing the action and lettingthe valve 41 reseat itself. This operation continues without variationin mean pressure until all the carbid is exhausted, whereupon thediminution of pressure shows in the lam p- 45 flame and indicates theneed of recharging.

The pressure of lever u may thereupon be relieved either by detachingspring 19 or by depressing lever u by means of the screw n. Then thering a may be unscrewed and the 5 carbid-chamber taken off, 850. Thecarbid can, however, be charged into the chamber by merely taking offcap f, if desired.

In Fig. 3 the construction differs somewhat. The carbid-chamber has adownwardly-flaring extension 0 and a water-sealing flange 0" instead ofbeing secured bythe screw-ring The flaring extension projects into thewater and shields the end of the gas-pipe it from the spattering of thecarbidas it drops into the water. The valve 1) rests on the end of therod 1 which in turn rests directly on the diaphragm m. The rod-tube rtis therefore central and should fit closely at its upper end about therod, so as to prevent clogging either 5 by the powdered carbid or thefroth or spatterings from the water beneath. The discharge-pipe (Z maylead laterally from the apparatus, as shown. Two or more springpressedlevers u may be used.

In both the forms of apparatus the walls 7 immediately beneath thevalve-opening diverge or'fiare rapidly. This is to prevent the buildingup of bubbles or froth from water to the valve and the consequentpossible clogging of the valve.

The novel and characteristic features which distinguish this inventionare as follows:

1. Ina gas generator or lamp, tanks or chambers for separately holdinggas-generating elements, a passage from one to another, a valve betweenthem, an expansible and collapsible gas-chamber in communication withthe gas-space in said tanks, said valve being connected with saidexpansible and collapsible gas-chamber in such manner that when 5 thelatter is expanded the passage from one said tank or chamber to theother is closed,

a lever in engagement with said collapsible gas-chamber and adapted tomove therewith, means for imparting upward movement to 9 said lever, anda screw arranged for acting upon said lever to limit its upwardmovement, and to move it away from the gas-chamber to extinguish thelamp.

2. An acetylene-generator provided with a carbid-chamber and a valve forcontrolling the discharge of carbid therefrom to water, an expansibleand collapsible gas-chamber for receiving the gas-generator, aconnection engaging a movable wall of the gas-chamber and connected withthe valve for operating the same, a pivoted lever engaging said mov-.able wall, and a spring coacting with said lever and pressing it againstthe wall of the chamber in opposition to the pressure oft l1e 5 gastherein.

3. An acetylene-generator provided with a carbid-chamber and a valve forcontrolling the discharge of carbid therefrom to water, an expansibleand collapsible gas-chamber for I receiving the gas generated, aconnection engaging a movable wall of the gas-chamber and connected withthe valve for operating the same, a pivoted lever engaging said movablewall, and an adjustable spring coacting 5 with said lever and pressingit against the wall of the chamber in opposition to the pressure of thegas therein.

4. An acetylene-generator provided with a carbid-chamber and a valve forcontrolling the discharge of carbid therefrom to water, an expansibleand collapsible gas-chamber for receiving the gas generated, aconnection engaging a movable wall of the gas-chamber and connected withthe valve for operating 5 the same, a pivoted lever acting against thewall of the chamber, an adjustable spring connected with said lever forimparting pressure thereto and to the chamber in opposition to thepressure of the gas, and a screw acting I3 upon said lever to limit itsmovement toward the wall of the gas-chamber and for moving said leveraway .from said wall in opposition to its actuating-spring.

5. An acetylene-generator having a waterchamber and a carbid-chamberdetachably secured above it, each chamber provided with a gas connectionand a valve-operating rod, said gas connections and rods adapted toregister at the meeting point of the two chambers, and adjustable meanslocated at the point of union for detachably securing the chamberstogether by a gastight connection.

6. In combination in an acetylene-generator, a water-chamber, acarbid-chamber de' tachably secured thereto, a carbidfeeding mechanismtherefor, an expansible gas-holder beneath the said water-chamber, anoperating-rod extending therefrom to the carbidfeeding valve and made intwo pieces, an extension rising from the holder through thewater-chamber and into the carbid-chamber and also in two parts, a gasconnection from said holder extending upward through the water and gaschambers and also separable at their meeting point, and adjustable meansfor connecting the carbid and water chambers, the gas connection, andthe valve-operating rod and its casing, detachably, at the point ofunion between the oarbid and water chambers.

7. The combination with an expansible and collapsible gaschamber,-of avalve controlled thereby, a lever having unequal arms constructed tooppose the movement of the expansible and collapsible portion of thegaschamber, and a spring controlling said lever connected to the shorterarm of the lever, whereby the tension of the spring is not substantiallyvaried in the operation of the ap paratus.

8. The combination with an expansible and collapsible gas-chamber, of avalve controlled thereby, a device formultiplyingmotion constructed tooppose the movement of the collapsible and expansible portion of thegaschamber, a spring controlling said device. so arranged that itstension is not substantially varied in the operation of the apparatus,and means for controlling the tension of said spring.

, Signed this 3d day of October, 1899, at New Witnesses:

GEORGE H. SoNNEBoRN, HAROLD BrNNEY.

